


The Edge of Time

by KittyBatHyde



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Going into the past, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Tags Subject to Change, Time Shenanigans, Time Travel, WIP story, ZaDr, idk how tags work, we are writing as we go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-05 23:19:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15181553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyBatHyde/pseuds/KittyBatHyde
Summary: "16-year-old paranormal investigator, Dib Membrane, wants nothing more than to expose his arch nemesis, Zim, as an alien to the rest of the world so he can prove his sanity and gain his father's respect. But when one of his attempts to capture and expose Zim results in an unexpected trip into the past, Zim and Dib must put aside their differences and work together along with Dib's teenage father to return to the future without critically altering the time line."





	1. Selfish

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo first upload on AO3!
> 
> This is a roleplay/collab between me and Pat-The-Kitsune over on DA  
> And it will be a while before we get to the ZADR, but it will happen!

  _"Damn it!" a curse left the staggering boy's mouth. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" he continued in fierce and rapid succession as he skirted past a street lamp with a fatigued and arduous limp to his step._  
  
  
    If he had known this could happen, known that his feelings might change so suddenly, he never would have attempted to alter his circumstances to such a degree, he told himself between racing thoughts and endless profanities. How could he have let things get so out of hand? he asked himself as he rounded the corner to his destination, only hoping there was still SOMETHING that could be done to undo the events of the past month or so.  
  
  
    He thought back to the day this had all started.  
  
  
\-----  
  
  
    It had begun as any other day in late November. Classes were in session, the trees were losing their scarlet color, and with the exception of one MINOR detail in Dib Membrane’s life, the day was progressing as it always had, slowly and with no end in sight.  
  
  
    Dib sighed as he watched the final leaf of a tree outside his homeroom class finally detach itself from the branch it was clinging to and fall to earth without care. He envied that leaf. It was free to ride the wind now and no longer be burdened by the expectations of the fading autumn season.  
  
  
    Turning his gaze to the painfully boring lecture his teacher was currently giving amidst the backdrop of a green and white-marked chalkboard, he wondered how many more days of this he could bear. It was his sixteenth birthday today and yet nothing in his life had changed. He was still remarkably unpopular with the majority of his peers, his own father was of the belief that he was insane, and above all else, his attempts to expose his arch nemesis, Zim, as an alien to the world had been thwarted by the egotistical little extraterrestrial whom still resided on Earth despite 5 years of failed attempts to conquer it.  
  
  
    It wasn't at all conceivable to him how the other could go so long without being discovered. His disguise was as awful as it had always been, and there was no denying the other was starting to fall behind in height when compared to the rest of their classmates. Although the little green menace had grown an inch or two taller since his arrival on the planet Earth, Zim now resembled a petite seventh grader more so than a gradually maturing tenth grader.  
  
  
    Focusing his stare on the short alien in question, he noted the other's attempts to appear "normal." As he always did, Zim tapped away at some horrible-looking alien device he had on hand, pretending to take notes on the lesson as opposed to plotting the planet’s eventual downfall. The only preventive he had for inhibiting the other students from asking him about its peculiar appearance was a single sticky note attached to the corner of the device that read, "Normal Human Tablet."  _Typical._  
  
  
    Dib rolled his eyes and fixed them on the clock. Only five more minutes left of class before they would be set free to go about their days. Although he had planned on following Zim home to conduct his routine research on the Irken, he couldn't help but cringe at the memory of how his morning had started off that day. At breakfast, his father had announced that he had a surprise for his kids come the end of the day.  
  
  
    Rather taken aback by the announcement, Dib had nearly falling into the trap of assuming that perhaps just ONCE his father had actually remembered his birthday. But that assumption had quickly been squashed by the mention of his father's work. NOTHING that involved his father's work ever had anything to actually do with him or his sister, Gaz. If anything, it usually involved the unveiling of some new invention to a worldwide audience, which Membrane insisted his children attend.  
  
  
    Dib breathed out another heavy sigh before a sudden wisp of air followed by the unmistakable thwack of a ruler against his desk had him jolting upright in his seat.  
  
  
    "Is there something you'd like to share with the rest of the class, Mr. Membrane? Or are you simply so bored with my lecture that you'd rather take it over for yourself?" Their teacher interrupted Dib's thought process before prodding him with said measuring stick to make him sit up straight.  
  
  
    A flush of color rose to Dib's cheeks without fail as the rest of his classmates, Zim included, erupted into laughter. "N-No, sir." Dib looked away to one side momentarily before then directing a harsh glare in Zim's direction when the Irken's cackling rose above the rest. If only he could find a way to expose Zim to a larger audience, he mused. The classmates at his current school had proven time and again to be anything but cognizant.  
  
  
    Tucking his chin into the palm of his hand just as soon as the teacher had returned his attention back to the board, Dib then sat up in his spot when an idea suddenly struck him. If he was right about his father broadcasting a worldwide announcement later this evening, then what was to stop him from uploading a video of his own to the same live broadcast? He certainly had enough footage of the other that he had collected over his years of observation, and surely SOMEBODY in the audience would be likely to see the footage for what it actually was. Dib brandished a devious smile at the thought before writing it down in his notebook and eagerly awaiting the school bell's final toll.  
  
  
    While the teacher continued to drone on with his lecture for the next few minutes, it didn’t take Zim long to notice Dib’s insidious grin. He narrowed a pointed look on him suspiciously, wondering what the other was planning. Shaking his head to rid himself of any further distractions, he then went back to the calculations for his next evil scheme, which wasn't as grand as some of his past plots had been. As the years had progressed, he had started thinking on a bit of a smaller scale to help him regain some traction. Continuing to scheme throughout the rest of the lesson, he barely registered when the school bell finally rang, only taking note of it after a few students started getting up to leave, some of whom knocked into his desk on their way out, effectively breaking his concentration. Grumbling to himself in mild frustration, Zim shoved his device back into his PAK and strode his way out of the classroom.  
  
  
    There were a few stops he needed to make before heading back to the base that day. Walking outside to the front of the high school, he then waited patiently for Gir, his defective SIR unit, to come and meet him there… that is, if the dumb little robot didn't get distracted by his favorite TV show or a snack stand on the way there.  
  
  
    After waiting a decent amount of time for the android to show up, he soon realized that the little robot was likely not coming. Moaning in annoyance, he considered his options for a brief moment before then heading off towards the heart of the city on foot. At the very least, he had learned his way around the bustling metropolis he’d once gotten so horribly lost within.   
  
  
    Making a quick stop at a hardware store he frequented on occasion, Zim grabbed the few items he needed and threw what money he owed at the disinterested cashier’s face. Now there was just the minor headache of getting everything he had purchased back home. If Gir had actually shown up like he was supposed to, he could have used the robot to carry everything back to the base. But now that he was stuck carrying it all back himself, he’d had to find a faster route home than the one he usually traveled on foot. Although he knew of a shortcut he could take through some back alleys and side streets to get back home faster, he couldn’t help but cringe at the thought of having to pass by that horrible stink-worm, Dib’s house. Surely the human would make a fuss if he saw all the newly purchased equipment he’d just procured.  
  
  
    Taking a minute to weigh out the pros and cons of his predicament, Zim then decided to just take his chances as it would serve his purposes better to get back sooner rather than later. He only hoped the human wouldn’t be home at the time.   
  
  
    Arriving at his base no more than 20 minutes later, Zim then sighed in some relief when he finally managed slip inside his house unnoticed, his by now old robot parents welcoming him home the second he stepped inside.  
  
  
    "Welcome home, son!" the two robots announced in animated unison, momentarily blocking Zim's path before retreating back to their posts just within the entryway closet.  
  
  
    Zim didn't bother with a response back but rather fixed a scowl onto the SIR unit currently occupying his living room sofa.  
  
  
    None the wiser to his master's fixed gaze in that moment, Gir merely sat at the edge of the couch, his own gaze glued to the television screen in front of him as it blared his favorite TV show all throughout the room.  
  
  
    The irritated Irken moved to stand in front of the vibrantly obnoxious television set.  
  
  
    "OOOH! HI, MASTER!" the android finally greeted him in his usual naive tone of voice, oblivious to the countless icy daggers that Zim what currently directing at him with his stare. "Ooooh, what's that?!" he then exclaimed magnanimously, pointing to the handful of items Zim had purchased at the hardware store and admiring them with childlike curiosity.  
  
  
    "THESE, -GIR-, are the newest components to my latest evil plan. You know, the plan that you were SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING ME WITH TODAY!" Zim barked in a voice edged with hostility.  
  
  
    "Oh yeeeeaaaahhhh." Gir responded back with a casual absent mindedness that had Zim bringing a single hand up to his face and shaking his head in defeat. "I was watching TV!" he then announced as though it weren't already obvious. "The Big-Head Boy was there, and so was the Spooky Lady, and the pointy guy that looks like Mary!" he exclaimed excitedly before then pointing to the TV in question, which had switched over from its usual broadcasting to a live feed of what was labeled as the "Membrane Appreciation Awards." In the background, a large stage with crowds of people surrounding it could clearly be seen while a single newscaster spoke over the many voices of excited Membrane fans who had come to see their triumphant idol receive recognition from the world for his contributions to the scientific realm.  
  
  
    "Eh!? What!? The Dib!?" Zim immediately dropped what he was holding to turn and face the screen.  
  
  
    "Yeah!" Gir chirped before hopping off the couch to go and rewind some of the footage he'd been watching shortly before Zim arrived. When he found the bit he was looking for, he paused the screen for a moment before hitting play on what appeared to be an interview happening between Membrane and the news reporter. "See!" Gir then pointed to Dib standing next to his father, seemingly cradling a labeled disc drive to his person with scrupulous care. Zim could vaguely make out the words "Proof of Zim's Alien Existence" written across its label and growled.  
  
  
    Finishing up his interview with the professor, the news anchor then turned his attention to Dib and Gaz.  _"And so tell me, how are you two feeling about tonight's ceremony event, being the FAMOUS PROFESSOR MEMBRANE'S  current roommates?" he asked with effortless ease of misconception._  
  
  
    Dib struggled for a moment to come up with a sophisticated response he could use to excuse himself from the live interview before Gaz merely jabbed the guy off camera and turned to walk away without saying a word, allowing her brother the chance to take off into the crowds in search of where they were storing pre-recorded footage for tonight's staged event.  
  
  
    Zim glared at the TV critically for a moment before then turning to look at Gir, a plan already forming in his head to foil whatever plans it was Dib was plotting, or just to ruin his day in general. He snatched the remote away from the currently preoccupied robot, successfully gaining his attention in the process.  
  
  
    "Gir, listen carefully now. I'm going to go back out and I need you to watch over the base while I'm gone, understand?" Zim asked, waving the remote just out of Gir's reach.  
  
  
    "Okiee dokie!" Gir's eyes shifted to a red glow momentarily as he gave Zim a quick salute before turquoise flooded back in to dispel the alert gleam he temporarily had in his eyes.   
  
  
    Nodding his head in satisfaction at that response, Zim tossed back the TV remote to his SIR unit, permitting the little robot to cheerfully return back to his televised programming. Heading out of the base as quickly as he could, Zim then pulled out a handheld GPS device from his PAK, having taken out the one he’d installed in Gir long ago. He no longer trusted the small robot to follow its predetermined directions, let alone actually keep the thing installed.  
  
  
    Locating the auditorium that the awards ceremony was currently being held at, Zim made his way there with haste, the trip itself being uneventful aside from having to quickly dodge the evil chihuahua that sat in the middle of the sidewalk sometimes. Upon arriving, he then noticed a web of security stations that were dotting the outside perimeter of the stadium, keeping people without proper clearance or those without a ticket from entering the venue. Zim glared at the security stations testily. Of course there were bound to be guards at a place like this. He had to get through though and pondered on how he could do so without being noticed.  
  
  
    As he contemplated his circumstances for a brief moment, it wasn’t more than a few seconds later that a small family of four came rushing up to one of the security posts, explaining to the guards that they had been late getting off work as they handed over their tickets for entry. Zim smiled to himself at the welcome diversion before quickly joining in beside them and hoping the guards wouldn't notice him as they entered into the ceremony event. It worked like a charm and Zim cackled quietly to himself at his successful infiltration. Humans were such dumb creatures at times, he thought as he strolled into the auditorium.   
  
  
    Entering into a massive reception hall, he scanned over the area once and then frowned. The place was much larger than he could have imagined, and there was a giant crowd of people separating him from the stage. Grumbling to himself, Zim reluctantly started to wade his way through the sea of bodies, shoving people aside as needed while still trying to keep a low profile and look out for the Dib.  
  
  
    As Zim neared the center of the crowded assembly hall, the lights suddenly dimmed to a muted hue before a single spot light was directed to the front of the stage.  
  
  
    "Welcome, dedicated science enthusiasts! And thank you for joining us here this evening! As many of you may already know, we have gathered here tonight to pay homage to one of the greatest scientific minds of today's time and age, the world-famous and remarkably-talented PROFESSOR MEMBRANE!" a single voice boomed above the rest, causing the buzz of muffled whispers in the audience to settle to a note of attentive silence.  
  
  
    "For nearly two decades now," he continued, "the professor has devoted a majority of his time and efforts to mankind's betterment. That being said, we've come together tonight to celebrate and pay tribute to the many achievements thus far accomplished in the field of science by the man sitting directly behind me. Please give a round of applause for the man of the hour, Professor Membrane!"  
  
  
    A roar of delighted cheers exploded from the audience in response to that as the light then focused in on the professor himself. He sat in a chair near the back of the stage, his daughter, Gaz, situated in a seat directly to his left. It was only then that Zim noticed Dib discreetly rushing up onto the stage from one side to join his sister in the shaded seating area near the back. The professor cast his son a momentary warning glance before then turning his attention to the crowd in front of them.  
  
  
    "Ah, yes, well thank you, Simmons." Membrane nodded his head in his faithful assistant's general direction before standing to address the audience briefly. "It's an honor to be recognized here tonight and truly humbling to be surrounded by so many passionate supporters of my work. Before we commence with this evening's main viewing event though, I'd just like to extend my sincerest gratitude to some of the people sitting up here on stage with me: my fellow colleagues, my loyal television sponsors, my avid fan base, and of course, my supportive loved ones." he said, gesturing to the long line of filled chairs occupying the stage's circumference and ending with Dib and Gaz's seats. "Without the lifelong support of so many friendly faces, surely my life's work wouldn't be as fulfilling or as successful as it is today." he ended his speech with one final fond glimpse at his two kids sitting off to one side of the large  auditorium stage.  
  
  
    Sticking his tongue out in silent, gagging protest, Zim eyeballed the area once more in desperation before locking his gaze onto a single door that seemed to lead into a room backstage. Surely that was where Dib had just come from, he thought to himself as he continued his trek through the mass of human bodies. If the human was planning to expose him on live television programming then boy did he have another thing coming.  
  
  
    Reaching the door within less than a minute's time, Zim ushered himself into the back room stealthily, taking care to make absolutely certain that nobody had seen him enter. Once inside, he then reached into his PAK to pull out a disk drive of his own making, quickly locating the video evidence he'd seen Dib with earlier and replacing it into his PAK for later disposal. "There. That outta show the human not to mess with ZIM!" he proclaimed in hushed triumph before then taking a moment to admire his vengeance. It was a good video clip, to say the very least, but somehow it just didn't seem like enough to him. Sticking his tongue out in idle dissatisfaction for a moment, he then reached back to rummage through his PAK again for something to add onto the footage he'd already exchanged. "Perfect!" he announced once he'd made one final alteration to his plan. Now all that was left to do was sit back and watch as the chaos unfolded.  
  
  
    Slipping out from the back room silently, Zim then found himself an empty corner to press his back against in anticipation of the soon to be pandemonium. He could just see Dib's face now, contorted into nothing less than a tantrum of complete and utter humiliation and shame.  
  
  
    As the ceremony resumed with Simmons back at the microphone now, he moved on to speak about a few projects the professor was currently working on before then listing off a number of awards that they planned on presenting shortly following the tribute video that had been prepared for that evening.  
  
  
    "And now if you’d all direct your attention to the screen directly behind us, we’d like to present you with just a quick montage of the great Professor Membrane's outstanding achievements made thus far!" Simmons announced, clicking on a button attached to the podium and waiting for the video feed that had been prepared to start up, or so they thought. The video took a moment to load before finally a shoddily-taped recording of the Mysterious Mysteries’ opening theme appeared on the screen.   
  
  
    Dib’s eyes widened in horror at the all too familiar intro to his favorite television series. This wasn't what he had uploaded to the projector; it wasn't what he had uploaded at all. As the recording continued to play out on screen, Dib didn't dare to look over at his father in that moment. He knew he would be in trouble for this one and could already feel himself being pinned down by the look of disappointment his father was no doubt aiming at him. The video then transitioned into another clip, something Dib recognized from a long time ago, and something he had hoped to never witness again. It had taken place back when he was still in Ms. Bitters’ class. He had been trying to get his classmates to understand that Zim was an alien, with a giant space setup, diagram, and floating monitors assembled in the background. As could be expected though, his classmates had all disagreed with him, mumbling in agreement amongst each other about some absurd comment Zim had made to defend himself in lieu of all Dib’s evidence. It had been the final straw for Dib at that point, and he had just sort of....flipped; jumping on desks, making incoherent noises, and even crawling back and forth along one of the classroom light fixtures.   
  
  
    Dib couldn't even watch the rest of the video recording, physically cringing at the mere memory of the biggest episode he’d ever had in class over the stupid alien. To his relief, the video cut off after his freak out had ended, leaving Dib feeling somehow cheated for the fact that the footage hadn’t included Zim’s kidnapping shortly following his temporary break down. At least the part where the bird had pooped on him and his classmates laughed wasn’t present. But still, the brunt of what had happened that day was definitely there.  
  
  
    A longstanding silence fell over the audience before they all then ruptured into fits of laughter, some mocking Dib's shenanigans and calling him crazy while others he could hear were questioning what kind of roommates the professor was keeping nowadays.  
  
  
    Zim watched the circus act of confused and inept staff members calling out orders to cut to a commercial with glee, cackling to himself lightly at a job well done. It was always a pleasure watching the human struggle in utter failure and humiliation, especially as a result his own doing.  
  
  
    Slinking from his seat as though to dislodge himself from the situation at hand, Dib swept a sheepish glance about the room in search of a possible escape route. That's when his eyes locked onto those of his nemesis, the other's fake lavender irises alight with unbridled amusement. He felt a wave of anger and frustration wash over him in an instant, his previously-felt embarrassment being postponed in favor of complete and utter outrage.  
  
  
    "Oh you horrible, alien mon-!" he began to rant before suddenly being grabbed by somebody and escorted from the stage in as unobtrusive a manner as possible. Dib jerked his arm free once removed, firing off his mouth before he could register who exactly had grabbed him. "Hey, what's the big ide---a..." his voice fell from a shout to a stammer in the face of his father's scrutiny.  
  
  
    For the first time in his life, Dib could actually sense his father's silent fury, having never experienced anything beyond mild annoyance from him before.  
  
  
    "Just. what. were. you. THINKING. Dib!?" the words came out slow and steady, as though Membrane was struggling to maintain an even-tempered tone with his son.  
  
  
    "I-I c-can explain!" Dib sputtered out instinctively, unaccustomed to the foreboding sensation he currently felt spreading throughout his body. "You see, Zim-" he began to say but was instantly cut off.  
  
  
    "Oh, no you don't! Enough about your little foreign friend already! How many times must I say it, son? There are no such things as aliens!" Membrane spoke in obvious exasperation.  
  
  
    "But, Dad! I'm telling you the truth! He-" Dib tried again to argue his case, only to be shut down immediately by Membrane's disapproving glare. This obviously wasn't an eligible time to be bringing up his theories about Zim, not after everything that had just unfolded at least. Dib fixed his gaze to the floor beneath him and exhaled out a defeated sigh. "...Sorry, Dad..." he apologized in an enigmatic tone of voice, his words holding less sincerity to them than what was to be expected in that moment.  
  
  
    Sighing in response to his son's scantily-prepared apology, Membrane hailed over one of the many security personnel there and spoke to him in hushed dialogue for a moment before then turning back to Dib. "I'm going to have you and Gaz taken home for the rest of the ceremony and we'll have a talk afterwards about what happened here today." he said in a voice tinged with suppressed vexation. For the time being, he couldn't afford to let his anger get out of control here of all places as he turned to exit back out onto the stage with keenly disguised poise.  
  
  
    The security guard in question merely tilted his head forward in compliance with the professor’s orders before ushering Dib away towards the exit and into the back parking lot area. Looking behind himself, Dib could then see Gaz being walked out with another guard, a very displeased look on her face. Yeah, he was definitely going to hear it from her when they got back to the house, he thought, a more familiar fear temporarily replacing the unfamiliar tension he’d felt at the hands of his father. Hopefully it wouldn't be too bad.  
  
  
    As they were driven home from the ceremony event, which continued without anymore unexpected interruptions, Gaz gave Dib a sharp punch to his arm upon arriving, glaring at him with deft precision.  
  
  
    "Thanks for ruining everything again," she snapped viciously before stomping off to her room in her usual volatile fashion, leaving Dib alone in the living room.  
  
  
    Sighing to himself and retreating to his room, Dib stayed locked it in for the rest of the evening, anxiously awaiting the inevitable punishment he knew he had coming. It wouldn't be too much longer until the ceremony was over, probably another hour or two at best. In the meantime, he just sat in his room, laden with frustration over what had just occurred. Things would have been perfect if Zim just hadn't intervened. His thoughts now on the alien, he frowned automatically. If nothing else, he figured he should at least start coming up with another new way to expose and get back at him for what he had done to him today. Pulling out his laptop, Dib then started typing up some plans he’d had in mind previously, leafing through folders on his hard drive that contained elaborate bits of information he had gathered about the other throughout his years of continued observation.  
  
  
    Getting caught up in his research and planning, Dib almost didn't hear the front door when it finally opened downstairs. Almost.  Looking up from his laptop, another wave of unease dwarfed his composure as he waited in silence for his dad to come to his room. After a minute of waiting, there came a firm knock on the door. Getting up from his bed, Dib forced himself to take in a deep breath before going over to open the door with slight hesitation.  
  
  
    "So what happened today? Would you mind explaining to me what you think you were doing?" Membrane inquired with immediate resolve, getting straight to the point as he assumed his son had had plenty of time to think on it in the time he’d been gone.  
  
  
    Dib deadpanned at the question, having gotten so caught up in his research on Zim that he hadn’t even considered how to explain his actions beyond stating the same as he had back at the ceremony. “Uh...W-Well, you see, I…” he tried to stall for time to come up with something reasonable, his mind treacherously denying him access to any sort of explanation he could use in his favor.  
  
  
    Lifting a brow marginally to signal his growing impatience in the face of Dib’s current diversionary disposition, Membrane then sighed when he received no answer at all. Although he had calmed considerably since he’d last spoken with Dib, there would be no letting this one slide. “You’re grounded. Two months and I’ll be having Simmons stop by to take you to and from school from now on, as well as remove any technology you have in your room dedicated to your ‘Para-science.’” he said before turning to leave, a part of him still displeased with himself for how light a consequence he felt he was letting Dib off with. He had never considered raising a hand to one of his kids before, but in light of what had happened, Membrane had nearly slapped Dib back at the venue. Fortunately for Dib, he had a little more patience than that, but it was definitely running thin at this point.  
  
  
    Snapping his head up at his father’s seemingly one-ended decision, Dib couldn’t stop himself from shooting back a cursory response. “But, Dad! That’s totally unfair! You didn’t even give me a chance to explain!” he blurted out breathlessly amidst a wave of panic he hadn’t been expecting. After all, if Zim were left to his own devices, there was no telling what disasters might unfold as a result.   
  
  
    Stopping in his tracks, Membrane exhaled a calming breath, doing his best to keep his temper from reincarnating itself into something far more threatening than what it had been back at the stadium. “Alright, three months then.” he responded sedately, adding on another month for the back talk and feeling just a little more dissatisfied with himself for not knowing how to balance out what he felt was an insufficient repercussion in relation to his son’s actions.   
  
  
    “What!?” Dib was quickly losing his cool, even more so now for how flippant his father was behaving in that moment. He opened his mouth to continue voicing his protest but was quickly silenced by a single finger Membrane held up to silence him.  
  
  
    “Say another word about it, and it will be four months.” Membrane warned tentatively, far from used to having to punish his kids in such a way. Although he was well-educated in matters that demanded a scientific approach to them, this matter was far from anything that fell into his area of expertise.   
  
  
    Dib considered the professor’s words with versatile deliberation for a moment before continuing in voluntary defiance now. “I can’t believe you won’t even hear me out on this! Not that I should be surprised considering you almost never listen to anything besides your own voice!” he spoke caustically now. “Hell, you can hardly even take the time to punish us yourself, getting your assistant to do your bidding! Guess that’s why you rely so heavily on everybody else to do all your dirty work for you!” he spat amidst a torrent of raging emotions.  
  
  
    At that, Membrane couldn’t help but lose his cool now too. “Do you have ANY IDEA how incredibly selfish you sound right now!?” he mirrored his son’s own temper with uncanny veracity. Although Simmons had always worked under him as a fellow colleague and his personal assistant, the two of them had been companionable friends for longer than he could even recall.  
  
  
    “Selfish!?” Dib blinked in perplexed astonishment. “Look who’s talking now!” Dib countered defensively.  
  
  
    “And what exactly is that supposed to mean!?” Membrane demanded with interrupting force, advancing back on his son fiercely.  
  
  
    “Oh, I don’t know, Dad! Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that you forgot my birthday AGAIN this year! Never mind the fact that this has been going on for practically six years now! You really have no consideration for anybody but yourself!” Dib threw out critically, fingers already twining themselves around the doorknob to his bedroom door, which he forcefully slammed in the face of his father before locking it behind himself, thus putting an end to their current yelling match.


	2. Time Machine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lookie another chapter :3  
> Enjoy! ^-^
> 
> This is a roleplay/collab between me and Pat-The-Kitsune over on DA

    As the day ended without any further complications arising in the Membrane household, the next few hours leading into Saturday remained unfailingly tense. Morning arrived at what seemed to be a crawl, and the professor had been up for a few hours already when movement began to occur in the upper living quarters. He moved about the kitchen with preoccupied diligence, already making himself some toast to consume as part of his usual breakfast.  
  
  
    Meanwhile, in the upper level of their house, Dib was just now beginning to stir, having not slept well at all since the argument he'd had with his father. After following through with his usual morning routine, he then headed downstairs for breakfast, entering into the kitchen only to find his dad already making his own food. He didn't bother to say good morning as he silently crossed the threshold to make his meal in peace.  
  
  
    Noticing his son as he entered into the room, Membrane could instantly sense an air of awkwardness washing over the kitchen. He sat down at the kitchen table to eat his breakfast quietly, watching his son with unchanging awareness and waiting to see if he'd actually try to make any sort of conversation. It didn't take more than a few minutes for him to realize that wasn’t going to happen. He considered whether he should say something himself, only to have his alarm go off, signaling that it was time for him to head out to his lab downtown.  
  
  
    Getting up from the table and heading for the front door, Membrane stopped at the entrance to their house to cast the kitchen another constrained look. Perhaps he was taking too objective an approach to his son's current silence. He thought about going back in there to speak with Dib briefly, but before he could make the decision to do so, his alarm went off again, warning him that he had to get going now if he didn't want to show up late to work.  
  
  
    Dib sighed as he heard the front door closing behind his father before gathering his food together and heading back up to his room. It was for the best, he kept assuring himself, certain that if his father had actually spoken with him, it would have just been for the sake of admonishing his behavior last night. The argument itself had kept him wide awake most of the evening, and so he'd spent a good majority of that time focusing on his next plan. Since it wasn't a school day and his father would be working until late that evening, he figured he'd use the opportunity to do some snooping about in his dad's home laboratory, hoping he could find something there to be used in his next scheme to expose Zim.  
  
  
    Approaching the door to his bedroom, Dib stopped at the entrance and stared into the bleak abyss of what had once been a source of comfort for him in his early childhood years. Before his fascination with the paranormal had developed into an all-out obsession, his walls had be meticulously decorated with images of space and dozens of glow-in-the-dark stars arranged above his bed. Now however, his room was nothing more than a dismal place of study, the walls and floor littered with countless pages of torn out notebook entries and semi-clear photographs of the alien that had been haunting his existence since the time he'd entered into the fifth grade. He wondered whether his father would actually go through with having Simmons remove all his paranormal electronics. The thought made him furrow his brow in frustration. His father didn't have even the foggiest clue or insight about anything he'd done over the past five years to prevent Zim's multiple attempts at taking over the world.  
  
  
    Huffing out a bitter sigh, Dib continued into his room with purposeful inclination. If his father wasn't going to listen to him about his beliefs regarding Zim, then he'd just have to find a way to obtain some physical proof of his presumed-to-be "insanity." Pulling up a chair and dropping into it carelessly, he then reached to open a file on his computer screen, said document containing a compilation of what he felt to be the best images of Zim he'd captured thus far. Most of them were partially blurry still though, which made presenting them as conclusive evidence problematic. But perhaps he could find something in his father's home lab to help clear up any ambiguity in their appearance.  
  
  
    Hopping up from his computer chair, Dib hurried down into the living room outside his kitchen and stood for a moment at the threshold to his father's lab. Membrane had warned him on countless occasions already that he wasn't to use his technology for any paranormal research he was conducting. And with the weight of his father's stated punishment still hanging over him like a cloud, there could be no doubt in his mind that if he got caught down there, his days of being left to his own devices would be over.  
  
  
    Dib took a tentative step past the doorway's intimidating entrance, then another, and another until finally he'd descended to the final platform of the stairway leading into the basement level lab he'd always been told to stay out of. As usual, the inside was flawlessly immaculate, with each piece of technology looking nearly as pristine as the day it had been purchased. If nothing else, his father always kept a clean work environment, stating to his kids on more than one occasion how important it was to maintain the equipment they worked with for the sake of keeping it in proper functioning order.

  
  
  
    He entered into the lab a little further, the memory of their previous argument still hammering away inside his head.  
  
  
    He hoped he could find something useful near the back of the lab as opposed to the front of it as he didn't want to risk having his father notice that anything was amiss. Approaching a corner he hadn't previously explored before, Dib stopped in his tracks when something out of the ordinary caught his attention. It was a single machine of some sort, heavily coated in dust particles. Well that was a first, he thought to himself as he reached to brush off some of the concealing granules. Glancing around at some of the other workstations in the area, he then noted that they were all clean and organized aside from this one invention. Drawing a hand across the apparatus' surface once more, he stopped once his fingers came into contact with what appeared to be a hidden panel on the device. Dib reached to pull the panel loose from its location, successfully jarring it free after a few attempts and reaching his hand in to search its inner workings.  
  
  
    To his surprise, no wires or electrical circuits greeted his hand at the intrusion. Instead, what felt like a collection of wafer-thin notebook pages were wedged into a compartment that appeared to serve no other purpose besides concealing their whereabouts. He pulled the delicate leaflets out with care, hardly having time to actually thumb his way through them before a sudden click from upstairs and the sound of a door opening towards the front of the house had Dib stuffing the papers into his pocket and  bolting for the lab’s exit. He half-assumed it was his father, returning home to retrieve something he may have forgotten, but just as he reached the entrance to the living room quarters, he instead came face to face with Simmons, his father's personal assistant, most likely sent there to check in on him at the professor's orders.  
  
  
    "Oh hello, Dib." Simmons greeted him as he walked in through the door. "I'm...sorry about what happened." he said in a voice reflecting his empathy over the situation that had occurred.  
  
  
    Dib just shrugged and looked down to the ground with disguised nonchalance. "I guess you're here to take my computer and everything else away, huh?" he spoke in cool-tempered tones.  
  
  
    "Yeah, I'm afraid so..." Simmons shot him another look of conviction before clearing his throat to continue. "I'm really sorry, but it's what your dad wants me to do, so if you could just show me to your room so we can get this over with now rather than later, it'll be for the best." he said with an impartiality to his voice that he'd been forced to hone years prior when he'd first begun working with Membrane on a more professional level. He only hoped that the raven-haired teen wouldn't give him any trouble, knowing from past experience just how stubborn he could be at times.  
  
  
    "Right." Dib didn't bother with trying to argue, having already schooled his temper down to a less-bothered composure overnight. After all, the last thing he needed was to be getting into anymore trouble.  
  
  
    Taking Simmons up to his room, they then went ahead and started boxing things up, though Simmons did allow Dib to keep at least his laptop, having him promise not to use it for anything paranormal-related and just for entertainment purposes only. It the least he felt he could do after hearing from Membrane about the argument that had ensued shortly following what had happened at the ceremony event. But Dib no longer had access to his desktop, cameras, or anything else he had used for research on the paranormal in the past. Thankfully for him however, and unbeknownst to Simmons, he used his laptop primarily as it was just easier for him to carry around with him.  
  
  
    After finishing up their packing and saying their goodbyes, Simmons then left the household, leaving Dib alone again to go about his own devices. Stepping into his now almost empty room, void of nearly all his technology save for his laptop, Dib surveyed the barren wasteland with a feeling of melancholy that warred with his desire to sit back down and pore over the crumpled note pages still hidden inside his pocket. He was at least grateful that Simmons had allowed him to keep hold of his laptop. But if he was caught using it to perform anything even remotely paranormal-related, he'd surely be in for it big time.  
  
  
    As Dib sat at his desk to finally begin looking through the notes he'd acquired, he couldn't help but take notice of the time currently displayed on his alarm clock. It was getting late in the afternoon already so he'd only have a handful of hours left to actually continue his snooping in the professor's lab. Turning on his lamp light and smoothing over the wrinkled notebook entries, Dib then began reading through them diligently. They seemed to speak of calculations for a time machine, each documented note written in the unmistakable script that served as his father's handwriting.   
  
  
    "Time machine? What would dad need something like that for?" Dib asked himself cryptically before then noticing a list of catalogued dates to the side, all dating back farther than the recorded year Membrane had supposedly begun work on said invention. If he was reading his father's old notes correctly, he had begun work on this contraption just years following his own birth. But the list of dates included in his father's schematics also dated as far back as ten years preceding that.  
  
  
    He considered the dates thoughtfully for a moment before then realizing that some of the dates noted were likely from right before his father had entered into college, and met his mother. "No way...Dad would never make an attempt to alter the timeline...would he? I mean, he even did an entire segment on his show a few years back about how dangerous something like that could be. Though, then again, I suppose he could have just been developing it for scientific purposes at the time. Maybe just to prove that something like it could be built." he reasoned to himself, continuing to flip through the notes for more information. That's when he came across the final page of Membrane's writing, filled with multiple sections that had been crossed out and rewritten before they then ended rather abruptly, as though the calculations had been abandoned at that point.  
  
  
    "Hmm? I wonder what made dad stop his research on this invention. It looks like all the calculations were lining up with each other, and if I'm reading these notes correctly, it only needed a little more work to be completed." he said before flipping the page over to look at its backside, only to find a few more marked dates scribbled onto it with relevant footnotes added in next to some of them, better explaining their reason for being there.  
  
  
     _December 6, xxxx-First encounter with the rest of my life._  
  
  
     _December 20, xxxx-The Christmas party._  
  
  
     _January 10, xxxx-First official date._  
  
  
    Dib read down the list in idle concentration before then placing the paper down and glancing behind himself, as if considering something for a moment.  
  
  
    If the contraption he had been investigating earlier really was a time machine, and his father's notes on it all really were pointing towards its near completion, then what would be the harm in completing said invention? Obviously, there was the small contingency that no MAJOR changes be made to the timeline, but he wasn't stupid and considered whether such a mechanism could be used to his benefit in doing away with Zim once and for all. For years already, Zim had been struggling to make due with his limited Irken resources and the severely under-advanced technology Earth had to offer. So then how much harm could he do in the past if he were sent roughly 200 years back, to a time when human civilization had very little, if any, technology at all? He wouldn't have access to his base in the past, let alone a way to leave Earth OR contact his own species. So in other words, he would be stranded and no longer able to wreak havoc on him or the rest of humanity ever again.  
  
  
    An all too impulsive smile crept onto Dib's face at the thought and remained frozen on his features as he began digging through his father's notes for the more detailed schematics he'd come across inside them. It would work, he told himself, with more than abundant enthusiasm. And it wasn't like he hadn't inherited his father's knack for constructing complex machinery.  
  
  
    With hardly a second thought or hesitation, Dib bounced his way back down to his father's home lab, chattering away to himself as he often did when excited about something and beginning his work without delay.  
  
QQQQQ  
  
    On the Sunday following Dib's unexpected discovery, Zim, meanwhile, sat hunched over a table within his lower labs, diligently working on his next evil scheme. For weeks now, he had been developing a brand new brainwashing device he intended to use as a means of bending the wills of humans. The device itself was virtually finished already, but he still needed a place to test the thing out at. Sitting back in his chair to marvel at his latest handiwork, Zim then stretched his arms out directly above his head, trying to decide on when and where to test his new device until the all too familiar voice of his insane little SIR unit came racing to his antennae.  
  
  
   "TTAAAAAAQQUUUUITOOOS!" Gir suddenly came screaming into the room, effectively disrupting Zim's current thought process. "WE-WE GOTTA GO GET SOME!!" he then continued in apprehensive desperation.  
  
  
   "No, Gir." Zim dismissed his minion's outburst, glaring down at the small robot, who in that moment was wearing nothing but Krazy Taco merchandise. "...Why are you wearing all that anyways?" he then asked, eyeing the android up and down for a moment with obvious distaste.  
  
  
   "The taquitos! The taquitos!!!" Gir insisted again before grabbing a remote for one of the nearby monitors and switching it over to a channel advertisement for the Krazy Taco corporation.  
  
  
    _"Hey there, all you Krazy Taco fans, have we got an event for you! Join us here today for the grand unveiling of one of our NEWEST menu items: Spicy Salsa Taquitos! For a limited time only, we'll be offering free sides and a drink with every purchase made! So don't miss out on this Spicy Salsa Sunday event at a Krazy Taco establishment near you!"_  the commercial ended and Gir started weaving himself in and out of the between of Zim's legs.  
  
  
   "I need them! I NEED THEM!" Gir shouted at him with hardly flagging intensity, grabbing at the front of Zim's uniform and pulling at it dramatically.  
  
     
    Zim sighed out in obvious frustration and rolled his eyes at Gir's begging. "If I take you to this thing, will you leave me to my work for the rest of the day?" he asked, yanking his uniform away from the gushing green moron.  
  
  
   "YES! I NEED THOSE TAQUITOS!" Gir bellowed out again, starting to run around the entirety of the room now.  
  
  
   "GIR!" Zim yelled at the robot, making him stop in his tracks for just a mere moment. Grabbing the brainwashing device he'd been working on all afternoon, he then beckoned Gir over to him, the small android still vibrating with blissful anticipation. "Here, while we're there, we can test out my new device." he said, opening up Gir's head to put the gadget inside. But just as he opened it to insert his invention,  a scrawny-looking cat then pounced out from within and attached itself to Zim's face, causing the invader to shout out in surprise and back up a few steps. "GIR!" he hissed a second time, this time throwing the cat off of himself and glaring at the SIR unit, who was now a giggling mess on the floor. "Haha, very funny, Gir." Zim spoke in sharp, stabbing tones, grabbing his minion by the head and shoving the device inside. "Now go get your disguise on and meet me at the front door, understand?" Zim held onto the robot's head, nodding it up and down in compliance.  
  
  
   "UH-HUH!" Gir affirmed with whimsical excitement, whirling around in his spot and running off to do as he had been told.  
  
  
   Zim shook his head with reluctant capitulation before equipping his own disguise and going to take the elevator back up to his base's living quarters. Upon arriving in the topside of his base, he then headed over to the door, noticing that Gir was already there and waiting with as much patience as could be expected, which to say the very least, wasn't a lot at all.  
  
  
   "Come on, Gir. Let's just get going already. The sooner we get this over with, the better." Zim said as he attached a leash to Gir's collar and opened the door to leave. Before he could take even a single step outside the door however, he instantly regretted putting on Gir's leash as the dog-disguised android simply bolted out the door, using his rockets to propel them through the streets. "GIIIIRRR! STOOOOP!" Zim screeched out in vain but all to no avail as he could already see the street rushing by below them.  
  
  
   "WWHHHEEEEE! TAAAQUIITOSS!" Gir screamed as they soared towards the Krazy Taco at what was nearly super sonic speed.  
  
  
   "GIIIIRRR!" Zim shouted out again, holding onto the leash as tightly as he could. Letting go now would surely leave him with one nasty road burn that he definitely did NOT want to deal with. Thankfully for him though, they reached their destination in record time, coming to an unpleasant halt and causing Zim to go flying into the backside of his SIR unit’s head  before stumbling away in pain and letting go of the leash to help center himself again. "Gir...Don't do that...again..." he spoke in broken syllables, all the muscles in his legs feeling as though they'd been liquified.  
  
  
   "OKIEE DOKIE!" Gir flashed Zim an aggravating smile, not seeming at all phased by the demand as he wandered into the fast food restaurant ahead of his master, the door opening with a soft click and jingling of a bell. Zim was quick to recover and follow him inside.  
  
  
   Meanwhile, back at the Membrane residence, Dib pulled back from his work with a long and exhausted stretch, his eyes aching from poring over complicated schematics and joints cramping from what felt like a virtually endless task now. He was almost done making adjustments to his father's time machine though and searched the lab for a clock he could check the time with. It was nearly 4:00 in the afternoon now and his father wouldn't be expected back until 11:00 at the earliest.  
  
  
    "Perfect." Dib cheered, rising to his feet and heading for the exit. He was right on schedule to finish by that evening, granted he didn't take too long relishing in what he felt to be a well-deserved break. He needed some time to clear his head of formulas and convoluted math equations though and so pocketed the keys to his household before heading out to pick himself up a Suck Munkey. With the exception of a six hour break he'd taken during night, Dib had been working nearly nonstop now to complete his final adjustments.  
  
  
    He breathed in a breath of fresh autumn air, the brisk, mid-afternoon atmosphere a welcome transition from the otherwise sterile environment he'd been hunched over in for the past eleven hours.  
  
  
    Approaching the local gas station located across from the Krazy Taco restaurant, he then stopped in his tracks when he noticed an all too familiar green android exiting the establishment. Much to Zim's dismay, the line inside the restaurant had turned out to be longer than he had expected. So rather than dealing with Gir's unbridled excitement as they waited in line to reach the front cashier, he'd instead opted for sending the poorly- disguised SIR unit to wait outside on the curb, knowing from experience already that if he left Gir alone to do his own ordering, he'd likely try to buy out the entire restaurant, something he didn't have the moneys to cover.  
  
  
    Dib could have cried at the all too opportune timing. As he'd been slaving away to complete his father's time machine, he'd been contemplating the entire time on how he might lure Zim to his house so he could use it to do away with him. After all, it wasn't like he could just INVITE the Irken over to his father's lab. Such an approach would be far too obvious a trap. But there was no denying Zim couldn't just abandon his moron sidekick. After all, the two had been stuck together since the start of Zim's mission, and even though the Irken wouldn't openly admit it, they seemed to share a peculiar sort of camaraderie with one another.  
  
  
    With an uncharacteristic lift in his current state of mind, Dib rushed inside the gas station to pick up an assortment of snack items, more than satisfied already with how this short-lived excursion was playing out for him thus far. Returning back to the parking lot outside the service station, he then crossed the street to approach the android in question.  
  
  
    "Psst! Hey! Zim's little green robot dog thing!" he gestured from a hiding spot off to the side of the restaurant, wanting to make sure Zim didn't spot him outside in the open.  
  
  
    Gir didn't respond to the call at first, his gaze remaining fixed on a spot in the distance, it seemed.  
  
  
    "Eh...err...What was it again? Gir, I think? Yeah! Hey, Gir!" he tried again in the same hushed tones he'd addressed the robot with the first time.  
  
  
    The SIR unit turned his head to look at Dib this time, his expression remaining unchanged though as he stared at the teenager with an eerie lack of his usual insanity.  
  
  
    Dib hesitated for a moment to continue before pulling out some of the snacks that he had purchased and waving them around in front of the android's face. "Want to come with me to my house? If you do, I'll feed you lots of snacks." he said in as tempting a voice as he could muster.  
  
  
    Gir stared at the boy seriously for a moment before then erupting into a fit of vehement hysteria. "TAQUITOS!!! MUST HAVE SPICY SALSA TAQUITOS!!!" he screamed, drawing in the attention of a few pedestrians passing by on the street.  
  
  
    Panicking at the unexpected and abrupt outburst, Dib attempted to change his strategy. "Eh...W-What about pizza from Bloaty's Pizza Hog! Or...umm...A bucket of Chicky Licky fried chicken!" he offered, though the robot only continued to wail about Spicy Salsa Sunday. "Burgers from MacMeaties?" Dib could quickly feel his opportunity to lure Zim into a trap dissipating into thin air with each refused food item. He then stopped to think for a moment about what else he could offer the howling SIR unit. "Ummm...H-How about SUCK MUNKEY SUNDAY!" he suggested in a last ditch effort to win the android over.  
  
  
    Gir cut short his frenzied sobbing at the proposed gas station treat and stared at the teen with riveted recognition. "OKIEE DOKIE, MARY!" he chirped with renewed contentment, holding his hand out to Dib so the other could lead him back to his house.  
  
  
    Dib couldn't help but blink in stunned astonishment that that had actually worked. He cast the surrounding area a shrewd once over with his eyes and then took the disguised android's paw into his own hand. He suddenly felt invulnerable as the pieces to his plan slowly started falling into place. Now all he needed to do was finish the adjustments to his father's time machine and the trap would be set.  
  
  
   Taking off in the direction of his house, Dib picked up the promised Suck Munkey for Gir along the way while teasing him with the agreement to pick him up some Spicy Salsa Taquitos later on if he just waited for Zim at his house.  
  
  
    Roughly thirty minutes later, Zim finally exited the restaurant. It had taken him only 15 minutes to realize that his device was still in Gir's head and that getting out of line to retrieve it would mean having to wait an even longer time to reach the front counter. So instead of heading back out to retrieve Gir from the parking lot, he merely got the android's order to go before exiting the building to locate his waiting minion. As he departed from the fast food establishment however, the first thing he noticed upon stepping outside was the distinct absence of Gir anywhere to be seen within the surrounding area.  
  
     
    "GIR!" Zim shouted out automatically, dropping the to-go bag when he received no immediate answer. "No! No, no, no, no, NO!" he kicked at the ground in frustration.  Pulling out a handheld tracking device that he had thankfully had the forethought to install on Gir after one two many disappearances in the past, he then activated its tracking feature, the display almost instantly picking up on Gir's signal, which was a fair distance away from where he was now. He needed to find the SIR unit and find him fast. Not only did the little robot have his newest brainwashing device still with him, but he couldn't deny the fact that he thought of the android as more than just a loyal companion, not that he'd ever admit that fact to anyone out loud.  
  
     
    Following the tracker with hardly any issue, besides a bit of boredom, it wasn't until Zim arrived at the indicated location that he finally looked up from the screen to see which house Gir had wandered into. He growled menacingly at the sight of the unmistakable Membrane residence.  
  
     
    "Dib," Zim seethed between tightly clenched fangs. He couldn't just go in there through the front. The human was likely expecting him to do that. Zim was no fool though, and there was probably something that the human was up to to go through the trouble of kidnapping his minion. What that something was however, he didn't know.   
  
  
    Going around to the back of the house, he then used his PAK legs to pry open the connecting garage door. He entered into the storage area, glancing over at Tak's ship which still resided there as he did so. Maybe he should just steal it one day, he contemplated to himself idly. It wasn't like he needed the Dib to have any sort of Irken technology in his possession, especially considering some of the trouble it had caused him in the past.  
  
  
   Entering into the household as quietly as he could, Zim then checked the tracker again. It seemed that Gir was somewhere in the lower level of the house. Stowing the tracker back inside his PAK, Zim looked around for a stairway that would lead him down to the basement. He found it with relative ease before cautiously taking a step downwards, all the while keeping his eyes peeled for both Gir and the miserable human.  
  
     
    Down in the household lab, meanwhile, Dib struggled to complete his father's work. He had been TRYING for the last 20 minutes to finish up the machine with haste, but had forgotten how much of a nuisance Gir could actually be. The food Dib had given him had already been devoured, and the little green dog was steadily growing more and more impatient the longer he had to wait for his promised taquitos. Dib was so close to finishing the machine though and couldn't figure out what wasn't working right.  
  
     
    "Ugh...There must be something that I'm missing." Dib sighed, turning back to his overloaded work station and reviewing his father's notes again.  
  
  
   "You just gotta pull at dis thingy here!" Gir declared in theorized stupidity, taking the opportunity to start pulling at exposed wires sticking out from the paneling.  
  
  
   "No, wait! You're going to break...it?" Dib stepped back as the machine suddenly whirred to life without delay. "Huh, well what do you know. Guess that actually worked." he said once his initial alarm had dwindled to fascination instead.  
  
  
   Getting back to the task at hand, Dib then excitedly started fiddling with some of the knobs, entering in information onto a keypad and smiling to himself with all too elated glee. He planned on sending Zim back roughly 200 years in the past, but right as he started keying in the desired numerical digits, he suddenly received a rather hard shove to his side, causing him to fall backwards before he could complete the task.  
  
  
   "What the- Zim!?" Dib exclaimed in exasperated disbelief, having not thought that the Irken would arrive at his house so soon after running off with Gir. He'd gotten so caught up in keeping Gir at bay though that time had just sort of flown by unnoticed.  
  
  
   "That's right, Dib-stink!" Zim glared at the human severely, already going to grab Gir and get out of there.  
  
  
    "Oh, no you don't!" Dib lunged at the Irken before he could take off from there, deliberately wrapping his arms around the alien's torso to prevent the other from getting away from him. This may be the only chance he'd get to send Zim into the past, and he couldn't let the opportunity slip out from between his fingers.  
  
  
    Struggling to disentangle himself from the human's constricting grip, Zim forced himself to the ground in desperation, rolling along the floor with Dib still attached to him and managing to get just a single arm free. He took a swipe at the raven-haired teenager's face.  
  
  
    Having no choice but to loosen his hold on the Irken, Dib narrowly missed the other's claws as they brushed past the surface of his cheek. He fought to regain his balance incorrigibly before using the wall as a buffer to thrust himself back at the Irken, this time managing to grab him by the shoulders and pin him down the floor beneath them.    
  
  
    Zim snarled out a grunt derived of natural born instinct, his PAK legs coming to life now and forcing the human off of him.  
  
  
    Hitting the ground hard again,  Dib scrambled to regain his footing, refusing to give in despite his obvious disadvantage. He dived to avoid being skewered by one of Zim's PAK legs, the sleek and flexible appendage managing to catch on the tail end of his signature black trench coat and hinder his attempted escape tactic.  
  
      
    Zim lingered above his prey like a predator preparing to strike, training his eyes on Dib's throat and lifting a PAK leg to deliver the final blow. "Any last words, pathetic pig smelly!"  
  
  
    Dib's eyes widened behind his glasses as he searched around frantically for something...ANYTHING he could use to get himself out of this situation. Lifting his gaze to the work bench situated directly above him, he then spotted something he could use to save his apprehended hide. He reached for the item in question, just barely managing to grab hold of it with his fingertips before flinging a glass half-filled with water directly into the Irken's face.  
  
  
    Zim reared back with a high-pitched shriek, retracting his spider legs and giving Dib the opportunity to wriggle out from underneath him unharmed. Before Dib could return back to the controls of his time machine however, Zim pounced on him in a blind rage, using his antennae now to hone in on Dib's movements. He raised the elegant appendages up attentively on his head, tilting his disguise's wig forward as he held the teenager down with all the strength he could muster in that moment.  
  
  
    Trapped once more by the alien presently on top of him, Dib looked for another miracle before taking note of their current position in regards to the time machine. Perhaps he could---He didn't bother finishing that thought as he rolled back automatically and wedged the sole of his boot directly beneath Zim's midsection. Then, with all the might he could gather, he thrust the invader off of himself and into the operational time machine.  
  
  
   "HA!" Dib exclaimed triumphantly, flashing his nemesis one final disarming sneer before slamming a single hand down on the start button, effectively bringing the machine to life and initiating its transport into the past. "Victory for Earth!" he proclaimed, raising his arms up above his head in success.  
  
  
   Dib only had a moment to revel in his short-lived achievement though before he then heard a gasp followed by a shriek of excitement from somewhere within the room. "OOOOO! WHAT'S THAT?!" Gir shouted and rocketed over to see for himself, accidentally headbutting into Dib in the process and barreling them both into the time gate right as it was disappearing from sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art by me ^-^

**Author's Note:**

> Any constructive criticism will be appreciated since we'd like to keep it an enjoyable read for everyone. If you guys see anything that needs editing or tweaking, we'll be happy to take into thoughtful consideration.
> 
> And so since we're writing as we go next chapters will just depend on how fast we get done so might be a bit o3o
> 
> So we hope you guys will enjoy this fanfic ^-^
> 
> Disclaimer: We do not own the cartoon that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. They are the sole property of Invader Zim creator, Jhonen Vasquez.


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